Crash kills 2 children, injures 4

SUV hits pony cart near Middlebury.

MIDDLEBURY -- Two children were killed and four injured after their pony cart was struck by a sport utility vehicle in the 10500 block of County Road 24 in Middlebury on Monday.

According to the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department, the children pulled out onto the road and into the path of the eastbound SUV at around 10 a.m.

One child, 10-year-old Jenna Miller, died at the scene from head injuries. Around 5:40 p.m., the Sheriff's Department confirmed that 7-year-old Jolisa Miller died after being airlifted to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne.

Police say the pony, which was also killed, was pulling two carts. The SUV hit the pony and the first cart.

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Three medical helicopters were called in to take four children to the hospital. Two were in serious condition and two were in critical condition.

The driver of the first cart, 10-year-old Jeneva Miller, was airlifted to Parkview Hospital. The second passenger in the cart, 4-year-old Jared Miller, was airlifted to Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. All had incapacitating head injuries, according to police.

Jenna and Jolisa were also in the first cart.

There were two riders in the second cart. Joyce Miller, 9, suffered an incapacitating head injury and was airlifted to Parkview Hospital. Justin Miller, 5, had shoulder pain but declined medical treatment at the scene.

Neighbors in the close-knit community are now coming together to help the family cope with this tragic loss.

"It's really tough when you lose one person. We're all close," said neighbor Kenny Stutzman.

Their homes may be far apart, but the people living along that part of County Road 24 are very close.

"There are nine families that live along here and lots of little children," said Stutzman.

Now one family will be relying on the strength of their neighbors.

"Nobody expects something like that, so it brings all the neighbors together," Stutzman said.

The Elkhart Sheriff's Department said they have several accidents involving carts or buggies and cars each year. They are urging people to be aware of their surroundings while investigators try to find out who, if anyone, was at fault.

"Not knowing the exact cause of this crash, it'd be hard to make a determination, but it never hurts for anybody just to pay a little extra attention when they're on the roads," said Capt. Michael Culp with the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department.

Sheriff's chaplains were on hand to talk with family members. A WSBT reporter at the scene said the driver of the SUV, a 60-year-old Bristol woman, was uninjured but visibly shaken and apologizing to many of the people who lived nearby. They were consoling her.

The driver was not cited at the scene.

The crash is under investigation by the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department.